Harlands Hertsmere leisure

[Stressedmother]

Hi

I'm having so much trouble with harlands trying to cancel my sons gym membership due to relocation.

 

He is moving to uni in September which is in Wales but harlands are refusing to accept this.

 

I have posted and emailed to them his accommodation letter from the uni and his ucas acceptance

but they have said this is not acceptable documentation.

I have emailed them everyday with the info saying he will no longer be living in the area.

 

But they won't actually answer the email just send a reply saying he committed to a twelve month contract.

 

I hope someone can give advice please.

[AndyOrch]

Hi

 

I have moved your thread to the appropriate forum to enable the correct advice.

 

Regards

 

Andy

[slick132]

Hi Stressed Mum and welcome to CAG

 

You should read other threads here to see just how many folk are having problems with Harlands/CRS. They like to make up their own rules about cancelling and we can only assume this delays cancellation and earns them more m/ship fees and admin charges.

 

Please tell us what gym this is about.

 

How old was YS when he joined the gym.

 

Basically, you need to make sure you've done the right things, namely :-

 

1. Inform the gym and/or Harlands in writing about the need to cancel, and the reason. Best method is to take 2 cancellation letters to the gym and get a staff member to sign 1 copy which you keep for proof.

 

2. Supply evidence of moving away; illness or injury; redundancy as soon as you can. Harlands will say you can't cancel UNTIL they get this evidence but they no right to make such demands.

 

3. Give them the requirement notice (normally 1 month) and pay a final m/ship fee after the notice is given.

 

4. After that, you can ignore demands from Harlands, CRS, Zinc and Major Law (their pet solicitors).

 

If you've done this, Harlands can make all the demands they like, for fees, and for requirements of documents, but it's just HOT AIR !! They have no right to behave as they do and they have no authority. They can make threats about legal action; about bailiffs; about ruined credit rating but they are mostly empty threats.

 

Answer the Q's here and we'll help you deal with Harlands/CRS. When you've done what you need, you can ignore them.

 

[Stressedmother]

Hi thank you for your reply.

My son was 19 when he took his membership out with Hertsmere leisure which is located in borehamwood.

We wrote a letter and posted to harlands on 10th August with documentation that he was leaving and that he was given the required 28 days noticed.

I also emailed them 7 days later and resent to them the documents via email.

Thanks once again

[Stressedmother]

Hi they have replied to my last email to them. They have said they have not received any documents from me. Even though they said last week that they would not accept the uni accommodation agreement that I had posted to them as prof of relocation, and would only accept a signed mortgage or tenancy agreement.

They have asked for me to resend all the documents again by the 16th September.

I have photocopied all the documents again and I'm going to send recorded delivery.

[slick132]

Hi SMum,

 

Harlands are just trying to draw this out and they'll say they'll only accept cancellation from the date there are satisfied with the documents. Hence they'll want you to pay until the notice expires.

 

I would NOT send them anything more and I wouldn't waste the extra postage cost of using RM Signed For delivery.

 

They've had the Uni accommodation agreement and that is more than adequate to show that a lad of his age is off to Uni.

 

Don't dance to Harlands tune and stand up to them or it'll cost you more in both gym fees and their ridiculous admin fees.

 

I'd write to Harlands by letter as follows :-

 

Dear sir or madam,

 

Son's Name - Hertsmere Leisure gym

 

I refer to previous communications about my son leaving for university.

 

You have no right to demand sight of further documents when you have already seen his Uni accommodation agreement.

 

His letter of 10th August was adequate notice of cancellation due to relocation and one subsequent DD was paid on xxdate. The DD mandate has been cancelled via the bank.

 

Further demands from you will be reported to both Trading Standards and The CMA.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

If the final DD payment hasn't been taken yet, that paragraph needs changing to :-

 

His letter of 10th August was adequate notice of cancellation due to relocation and one subsequent DD is payable on xxdate. The DD mandate will be cancelled via the bank after the DD is paid.

 

You must check that the last DD payment is for the right amount, and that Harlands haven't taken the gym fee PLUS a £25 admin fee on top.

 

[Stressedmother]

Thank you. I will send a copy of this tomorrow

Once again thanks for your help

[slick132]

You're welcome.

 

Please confirm the date the last DD was, or will be, paid.

 

[Stressedmother]

Hi

Just received another email from them informing us that he is now £57 in arrears. Even though his membership is only £30.

And they will not cancel membership until this is paid and further proof relocation has been sent.

[slick132]

Hi SMum,

 

Please stick with what I suggested and ignore the latest email completely. They have no authority to make such demands for money or for documentation.

 

Please also confirm the date for the last DD payment.

 

[Stressedmother]

Hi he paid his last direct debit on the 10th August

[slick132]

Ok, your notice to cancel would not have reached Harlands until AFTER the August payment was due.

 

So in theory, you may owe a further one month's gym fee.

 

You can offer to pay that in due course but, in the meantime, see how Harlands respond to your letter.

 

[Stressedmother]

Thank you

[Stressedmother]

Hi slick132

I sent the letter as per your advice via recorded mail. And received back a letter saying that they have accepted the evidence sent to them and due to relocation the gym membership will be cancelled.

 

My son has now received another letter this week saying he is in breach of his contract and he now owes two months gym membership with added charges. Because he signed into a 12 month contract.

[slick132]

Hi SM,

 

1. Was it Harlands who confirmed they've accepted the evidence sent in.

 

2. Did they say from WHEN they consider the agreement to be cancelled.

 

3. Who is the latest demand from.

 

[Stressedmother]

Yes it was Harlands who sent the first and second letter. They said they have accepted the contract is cancelled due to relocation. But now in the second letter they are now saying the contract is in arrears of two months.

They said the contract was cancelled from 01/09/2015

The second letter is dated 07/10/2015 from the same department

[slick132]

Hi SM,

 

Dear sir or madam,

 

I refer to your letter of xxdate.

 

I am willing to pay one final month's fee of £30 for the notice period but I will not pay any admin fees added by Harlands/CRS.

 

If you confirm by letter within 14 days that you'll accept my offer, I will arrange payment promptly.

 

If you insist on seeking any higher amount, my offer will be withdrawn.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Simple as that. Let us know how the reply.

 

[Stressedmother]

Thank you

[Stressedmother]

Hi slick

After sending the letters to Harlands they have now replied and said that they will accept the evidence I submitted to them with regards to relocation but said we owe £90 and until this is paid the account will not be cancelled.

They did not reply after 14 days that was requested in the letter I sent to them. And this letter seems exactly the same as the one we received in October.

We offered to pay the one month that we owed, but they didn't even mention that.

Thank you

[Bazooka Boo]

Ignore them then, and complain to trading standards and the CMA regarding the immature attitude of this clown outfit.

 

The account was successfully cancelled when your son sent them proof of moving, their silly little letters carry absolutely no legal weight whatsoever, and would be laughed out of court if they ever attempted to put it in front of a judge.

 

Foolish foolish people, their attitude is akin to clamping companies, and look where that got them!

Also send your story to BBC Watchdog too, lets try and get them to run another story on this shower.

[Stressedmother]

Thank you. It just seems they don't wish to read letters

[Bazooka Boo]

You're right they don't, no one it would seem can actually read at that company.

 

I really wouldn't pay any attention to them now, the game of letter tennis is boring when you know full well that they don't read your letters.

 

You have made yourself perfectly clear and they have chosen to ignore your very generous offer, so now you can reciprocate and ignore them.

 

Obviously you will make those complaints, but other than that, have nothing more to do with them, and don't forget to complain to the gym in question, as they are ultimately responsible for the action of this outfit they saw fit to employ no matter how hard they try and weasel their way out of it, they are very much to blame.

[Stressedmother]

Thank you

[slick132]

I agree with BBoo.

 

You made a reasonable offer and they failed to accept it within 14 days. They've also come back demanding more than you offered.

 

I'd ignore them for now but let us know their next move.

 

Other threads here will give you an idea of what contact you should expect from Harlands/CRS, Zinc and then Spratt Endicott. The last 2 are easy to see off but then Harlands/CRS will continue.

 

That's when you need to make complaints to the usual authorities.

 

[Stressedmother]

Thank you I will keep you updated